Haryana Assembly polls: BJP releases first list of 67 candidates, CM fielded from Ladwa, majority of MLAs renominated

In it’s list of 67 candidates, the party has repeated 17 MLAs and eight ministers. The BJP has also given tickets to eight women candidates in its first list.

The state BJP’s bigwigs, including cabinet ministers who have been renominated include — Aseem Goel, Kanwar Pal Gurjar, Subhash Sudha, Mahipal Dhanda, Kamal Gupta, JP Dalal, Abhe Singh Yadav, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, deputy speaker Ranbir Gangwa.

Majority of the candidates announced by the BJP have been fielded on their existing seats or the seats that they contested and lost in 2019. These include Anil Vij from Ambala cantonment, Aseem Goel from Ambala city, Kanwar Pal Gurjar from Jagadhari, Ghanshyam Dass Arora from Yamunanagar, Shyam Singh Rana from Radaur, Subhash Sudha (Thanesar).

The ruling party has also brought in two former Lok Sabha MPs — Dr Arvind Sharma (Rohtak) and Sunita Duggal (Sirsa). Arvind Sharma will contest from Gohana, while Duggal has been fielded from Ratia (SC) constituency.

BJP candidates list for Haryana Assembly Elections 2024

Rajya Sabha MP Krishan Lal Panwar will be contesting from Israna (SC) seat. Three political family scions have also been included in this list. These include former CM Bansi Lal’s granddaughter Shruti Choudhry who will contest from her mother Kiran Choudhry’s stronghold Tosham; former CM Bhajan Lal’s grandson and Kuldeep Bishnoi’s son Bhavya Bishnoi from Adampur; and Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh’s daughter Aarti Singh Rao from Ateli.

BJP’s two former cabinet ministers who lost in 2019 assembly polls — Capt Abhimanyu from Narnaund and Om Prakash Dhankar (Badli) have also been brought it.

The BJP has also tried to balance the rebellion within the party. Vipul Goel and Rajesh Nagar who were not fielded in 2019 have been brought in this time. While Goel will contest from Faridabad, Nagar has been chosen for Tigaon. Another rebel Rao Narbir Singh who had threatened to switch over to Congress if not considered, has also been announced from Badshahpur seat.

Besides the CM, a few others’ seats have also been changed. These include Vidhan Sabhas deputy speaker Ranbir Singh Gangwa who will now be contesting from Barwala. Gangwa’s previous seat of Nalwa has been given to Kuldeep Bishnoi’s close aide Randhir Panihar. BJP’s Manju Hooda will contest against CLP leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Garhi-Sampla Kiloi. Kosli MLA Laxman Singh Yadav’s seat has been changed to Rewari.

The new joinees in the party, including JJP rebels have also been given party tickets. Former union minister Venod Sharma’s wife and Manu Sharma’s mother Shakti Rani Sharma who joined BJP last week has been nominated from Kalka. JJP’s two rebels Anoop Dhanak and Devender Babli have also been fielded in their current seats. Dhanak shall contest from Uklana (SC) seat and Babli from Tohana.

Congress rebel Nikhil Madan who had recently quit Congress and joined BJP has been nominated on Sonipat seat while the jailer Sunil Sangwan who recently quit his job from Bhondsi jail has been nominated in Charkhi Dadri. Sangwan had also remained posted in Sunaria jail for a long time where Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is currently lodged.

Sheeshpal Kamboj will contest from Rania. The BJP has ignored its own minister Ranjit Singh who had joined the party ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls and unsuccessfully contested from Hisar. Ranjit had already sounded a rebellion announcing that he would contest from Rania even if the BJP does not field him.

Another JJP MLA Ram Kumar Gautam has also been fielded from Safidon. He contested as JJP candidate from Narnaund in 2019 and defeated BJP’s then minister Capt Abhimanyu.

Kabaddi player Deepak Hooda is former Indian Kabaddi team captain who shall now be contesting from Meham.

The BJP is aiming for a hattrick in the Haryana Assembly polls to be held on October 5 but faces a tough challenge from a resurgent Congress which is looking to cash in on the anti-incumbency factor. Saini is the BJP’s chief ministerial face for the assembly polls.